


His Boy

by lastcrazyhorn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Drabble, Gen, Neglect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-31
Updated: 2011-03-31
Packaged: 2017-10-17 10:06:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/175677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastcrazyhorn/pseuds/lastcrazyhorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a short drabble about Severus's newly adopted son, Harry Potter. It can either be read as part of my story, "A Means of Survival," or it can be read on its own. I purposely made the style a bit ambiguous for that very reason. During HP & COS.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Just a drabble that I wrote a while ago and never really found a good place for.

Severus Snape looked down at the impossibly small twelve year old boy perched in his lap, and felt the corner of his mouth turning upwards.

A year ago it would have seemed insane that he would ever have adopted the "Boy Who Lived"; yet here he was, holding said boy in his lap, offering comfort.

 _His boy. His son_.

He had actually adopted the brat.

 _His brat_.

The child maintained a tight grip on the front of his robes, even though he was finally asleep. Finally. The boy's nightmares were highly detrimental to his ability to function successfully in his classes, and their intensity worried Severus.

 _His child should not be plagued by such horrific nightmares at such a young age._

Severus stroked the boy's soft cheek with a potion stained thumb, and was amused as the boy relaxed even further in his arms.

 _Not_ the _boy-his_ boy _._

Their counselor had suggested that they designate a certain part of the day over to "holding time." It was to be a time without expectations for either of them, but especially the boy.

 _His boy_.

The purpose of the holding time was to provide the boy with a comfortable, safe haven every day; available without the child having to ask, while Severus's role was merely to _be_ that comfortable safe haven. His son had been deprived of comfort nearly his entire life, and in both the therapist's and Severus's minds, it was time for that to stop.

 _His son_.

 **. . . _Another night_ . . .**

"Dad?" The boy- _his boy_ -asked from where he was currently perched in Severus's lap.

"Child?" He asked, looking down at the boy fondly.

"Do you love me?" His son asked nervously.

Severus felt his throat close over briefly with emotion.

"Yes. More than I can easily quantify with mere words," he answered a bit gruffly.

"A lot?" The voice was still small.

"Yes child; 'a lot,' as you say."

He stroked his fingers along the crown of the boy's head, watching as the child moved his head towards his touch, a smile working its way over the lad's face.

 _His boy. His child's smile._

 **. . . _Another evening . . ._**

Sometimes they didn't speak. Sometimes he just held the boy and they sat comfortably in silence. Usually the boy was draped across his lap, face up, head resting either on his arm or on the arm of the couch. On occasion, he would hold his son higher up on his chest, resting the boy's head at the crook of his shoulder.

 _His son_. The thought filled his heart with inexplicable warmth.

He looked down to where his arm was wrapped around the thin shoulders of his child. His other arm was resting against the boy, holding two small hands loosely in a one handed grip.

 _His boy was just a child, still in need of protection._

Unconsciously, his arms tightened fractionally around his child. His boy had been hurt by others in the past. That knowledge alone made his gut burn with anger, but to contemplate the idea that someone might still attempt to purposely cause his son pain _now_ -that was just too much to process.

 _The boy was_ HIS _son_. _HIS_.

And he would make those other tormentors very sorry indeed for the atrocities they had committed against _his_ child.

 _His_ boy— _his_ sweet little one; whom he would protect until the end of time, if necessary.

 _His_ son.


End file.
